SHAWANO, Wis. – Genex Cooperative, Inc. is first in the industry to launch sire fertility rankings on beef sires.
“We are excited to launch a beef sire fertility ranking model,” states Keith Heikes, Genex Chief Operating Officer. “This fertility ranking, called PregCheck, evaluates an individual sire’s frozen semen conception rate.”
The PregCheck evaluation, available only through Genex, shows the expected difference in a sire’s conception rate. PregCheck uses a 100 base system, meaning a value of 100 is average. Every one point difference is equivalent to a one percent difference in conception rate. For example, if Sire A has a PregCheck of 102 and Sire B has a PregCheck of 98, sire A is predicted to average a four percent higher conception rate compared to sire B when bred to females with similar reproductive ability.
“Genex members and customers can expect increased conception rates when breeding females to higher PregCheck sires. An increase in conception rate adds up to more A.I. pregnancies and pounds of calf per year,” explains Heikes.
The statistical analysis for PregCheck was developed by Genex geneticists, who also assisted the cooperative in being the first to the marketplace with an internal dairy sire fertility evaluation. Genex dairy sire fertility research has led to industry-wide fertility domination for the past decade. The beef PregCheck model is identical to the dairy sire fertility evaluation system, however it is set to a beef base where sires are only compared to other beef sires.
PregCheck rankings will be published in the 2015 Beef Genetic Management Guide. As additional sires achieve reliability, their PregCheck rankings will be updated on the Genex website. Visit the Genex website for a current listing.
About Genex
Genex Cooperative, Inc., headquartered in Shawano, Wisconsin, is the trusted provider of world-class animal genetics, progressive reproductive solutions, value-added products and innovative services to members and customers across the U.S. This is accomplished through 950 dedicated employees working in three product and service segments: cattle genetics and reproduction, livestock marketing, and milking and farmstead equipment. Genex is a subsidiary of Cooperative Resources International. Learn more at http://genex.crinet.com.
